TAC Board: The Alaska Club Blog

On May 14th, I had the honor of participating in the Mrs. Alaska 2022 pageant facilitated by the generous sponsorship of the Alaska Club. While I did not win the title, I won something that, in my view, is far more prestigious– the “Woman of Achievement 2022” award. This title is given to those who the judges considered worthy of recognition for their life’s accomplishments, and I am honored to have received it. When I entered the pageant, I was ambivalent about winning anything. Still, I felt drawn to the pageant’s emphasis on women having a strong sense of mission, physical fitness, and the resulting elevation of their self-esteem.

Although it was many years ago, this memory is crystal clear to me - I was 9-years old. My family and I were decorating the Christmas tree. Our dog Dandy was super excited about the tree, the family, and the festivities. Although she was not allowed in the living room, she could not contain her excitement and she ran into the room. She was circling us, jumping up and down on the furniture, and then ran into the tree on her escape route down the hallway to avoid getting in trouble. My mom reached up to catch the tree and then screamed as I’ve never heard her before. My 9-year-old brain thought she was mad at Dandy. I had a whole save Dandy speech in my head, "mom, she didn’t know any better and we got everything cleaned up, we'll keep her out of the living room, etc...." However, my mom’s scream was not about Dandy. When she raised her arms, she felt an excruciating pain in the left side of her chest. Later, a doctor’s appointment confirmed she had advanced breast cancer and would need a mastectomy.

Winning an Olympic Gold medal didn’t save me from getting cancer. But thanks to all the years of staying active, caring about good nutrition and working to cultivate a positive and resilient attitude, I had the mental skills and physical strength to get through my cancer treatment and return to my active lifestyle.